Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is a mental health disorder that begins in childhood, but can remain undiagnosed for a significant period of a person's life. A tic disorder is a mental health disorder related to body movements and it can affect a person who also has ADHD. Tourette's disorder is the tic disorder that most commonly occurs with ADHD, notes MayoClinic.com.
Basics
The symptoms of ADHD affect millions of children and begin prior to a child's seventh birthday, often chronically lasting well into adulthood, reports MayoClinic.com. Tourette's disorder generally emerges in childhood or adolescents, but is rarer than ADHD only affecting 3 out of every 1,000 people, notes KidsHealth.org.
Symptoms of ADHD
The symptoms of ADHD are classified into three types: inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive or combined. If a person has the combined type of ADHD, he will demonstrate symptoms from both types. The symptoms of inattentive ADHD include an inability to focus, lack of concentration, lack of attention to detail, poor listening skills and an inability to remain focused on one task at a time. The symptoms of hyperactive-impulsive ADHD include excessive talking, inability to remain still, constant motor movement, running or jumping at inappropriate times, violating the personal space of others, blurting out answers and being unable to wait one's turn.
Symptoms of Tic Disorder
Tic disorders affect a person's body movements. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry reports that tic disorders can afflict any body part, such as the legs, face, hands and shoulders, and their occurrence is sudden, repetitive, uncontrollable and quick. Possible motor tics include, but are not limited to, blinking, jerking the lips, clapping, flapping the hands, raising a shoulder or touching a body part. Vocal tics can also occur with tic disorder and are often expressed through throat clearing, barking, grunting or saying words uncontrollably.
Considerations
Some medications commonly used in the treatment of ADHD have adverse affects on tic disorders if they are also present. According to the AACAP, when children with tics are exposed to stimulant medications, one-third of them experience a worsening of their tics. Stimulant medications used to treat ADHD can precipitate or exacerbate a person's tics, notes the AACAP. Therefore, these stimulant medications should be monitored closely and possibly stopped in people who have a tic disorder along with ADHD. Non-stimulant medications do not seem to have the same negative effects on tic disorders.
Consequences
The symptoms of a tic disorder and ADHD can cause a person to have problems with social interactions, self-esteem and anxiety. A child who experiences Tourette's disorder is often teased by peers and often gets into trouble because of his lack of control over what he says or how his body moves; these consequences can increase his distress and negatively impact his self-esteem. ADHD can result in similar consequences. ADHD can cause a person to be disruptive and impulsive, which can result in constant negative feedback from peers and authority figures. This can leave a person feeling helpless and lacking in self-esteem. Having these two disorders together may only intensify the negative consequences and put the person at increased risk for depression, anxiety disorders or substance abuse problems.
